'''Curonian Spit National Park''' is in [[Lithuania Minor|western]] [[Lithuania]].

==About==

==About==

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The town of Neringa was founded in 1961 when the Lithuanian settlements of the Curonian Spit—Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, and Nida—were joined into one town stretching for nearly 50 km. Neringa’s population is currently about 3000.

The town of Neringa was founded in 1961 when the Lithuanian settlements of the Curonian Spit—Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, and Nida—were joined into one town stretching for nearly 50 km. Neringa’s population is currently about 3000.

Neringa’s geographic position is unique. It is the most western part of Lithuania, bordered by the Baltic Sea from the west, and by the Curonian Lagoon from the east. In the southern part of Neringa there is a state border with Russian Federation, Kaliningrad area, and therefore this peninsula can be easy accessed from the northern part of Neringa by ferry (Smiltynė-Klaipėda). If you don’t have a vehicle, Neringa can be conveniently accessed in several ways:

Neringa’s geographic position is unique. It is the most western part of Lithuania, bordered by the Baltic Sea from the west, and by the Curonian Lagoon from the east. In the southern part of Neringa there is a state border with Russian Federation, Kaliningrad area, and therefore this peninsula can be easy accessed from the northern part of Neringa by ferry (Smiltynė-Klaipėda). If you don’t have a vehicle, Neringa can be conveniently accessed in several ways:

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By bus: buses leave from Vilnius and Kaunas every day; buses leave from Klaipėda’s Smiltynė ferry according to the schedule (the old ferry (1st), Žvejų g. 8, Klaipėda).

A local fee is charged for entrance permission by vehicle to the state-protected territories of the Curonian Spit National Park. This fee is administrated by the Neringa municipality.

A local fee is charged for entrance permission by vehicle to the state-protected territories of the Curonian Spit National Park. This fee is administrated by the Neringa municipality.

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==Eat==

==Eat==

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All Neringa cafes will offer You Lithuanian traditional dishes. You should necessarily taste cepelinai,potato pancakes and cold beetroot soup, fish soup,and other fish dishes typical to this region as well.You should taste really deliciuos and fresh fish smoked on Curonian recipe.

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All Neringa cafes will offer you Lithuanian traditional dishes. You should necessarily taste cepelinai (potato dumplings with various fillings), potato pancakes (bulvių blynai) and cold beetroot soup (šaltibarščiai), fish soup (žuvienė), and other fish dishes typical to this region as well. You should taste really delicious and fresh fish smoked on Curonian recipe.

==Drink==

==Drink==

==Sleep==

==Sleep==

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variety of accommoadation is on offer in Neringa including hospitable hotels, cosy villas, romantic guesthouses. For more information on accommodation please visit http://www.visitneringa.com and e-mail - info@visitneringa.lt

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Variety of accommoadation is on offer in Neringa including hospitable hotels, cosy villas, romantic guesthouses. For more information on accommodation please visit http://www.visitneringa.com and e-mail - info@visitneringa.lt

Contents

About

Neringa is the pearl of Lithuania and Europe, the Mecca for artists, and the recreation oasis for the tired. Even though Neringa has only been established since 1961, the history of the town at the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea dates back to the times when giants were living. Legend has it that the Curonian peninsula was made by a giant, the kind hearted Neringa, making a safe place for local fishermen against horrible sea monsters. This legend has been an inspiration for many centuries for people who live, work and create here and who are careful, have a firm and temperate character, and who are reliable and hospitable.
The Neringa resort was founded in the Curonian Spit National Park, which, since the year 2000 has been included in the list of World Heritage of UNESCO as a site of cultural landscape having many natural and cultural values.
Neringa’s beaches are also internationally recognized. In 2002, they were awarded a blue flag (primarily Nida beaches), meaning that the beach meets high standards of environment protection and service quality. The safety of visitors is ensured by professional rescue service including not only the members of the Lithuanian Water Rescue Service Association, but also the winners of the international championships.
Neringa resort is one of the most popular in Lithuania and is considered to be the best Lithuanian resort by more than half (51.7 %) of the surveyed residents of large cities. Recreation in this sea resort is preferred by those who like its exceptional freedom, tranquillity and relaxing atmosphere. Neringa is an exceptional place of recreation with its unique nature and specific culture. This area is a real hideout from busy life and urban noise for tired people.
“Neringa: a legend that inspires,” is a presentation slogan of Neringa, a place of freedom, tranquillity and recreation.
Typical visitors of Neringa are families with children, elderly people and those with more experience, as well as wealthy people looking for tranquillity.
A sign presenting Neringa includes the coats of arms of all settlements around Neringa. Future and innovation are symbolised by water ripples. You can see also the dunes in the emblem resembling a female silhouette. Femininity is symbolised also by warm and pastel colours. Femininity is highly featured for Neringa. Such feminine characteristics like care, service mindedness, and warmth are related to this resort.

History

Scientists say that the waves of the Baltic Sea formed the Curonian Spit more than 5000 years ago. The origins of the Nerija (Spit) name relate to Kuršiai—a western Baltic tribe who lived on the current Latvian and northern Lithuanian seacoast, and in the south stretched to the areas of Klaipėda. Urbanisation of the Curonian Spit began in the 13th century, when the crusaders or Teutonic Order occupied this territory and built several castles of the Order. The most important of them was Rasytė (Rossitten, currently Ribachiy). At the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries, Kuršininkai settled the Curonian Spit. The Kuršininkai were fishermen who used boats of a special structure, named kurėnai. Affected by the specific nature of the Curonian Spit and nearly separated from the continent, local residents were constructing original buildings covered with reed. Only in the settlements of the Curonian Spit can you see the specific carved decorations and weathercocks on the buildings. These weathercocks are evidence of the main activity of the old residents of Neringa—fishing. In the 15th century the entire Curonian Spit was covered by dense forest. The old residents considered trees to be sacred, and did not touch them. Later people began to cut trees with no pity. When the forests were destroyed, nothing prevented the sand from moving in the wind, so it slid along the peninsula towards the Curonian Lagoon. Huge dunes have buried many fishermen villages in their way. Scientists consider that there are as many as fourteen villages buried under the sand in the Curonian Spit. Later, it became clear that the pine roots are the best way to prevent the moving sand. Two centuries ago, they started planting the Curonian Spit dunes again and this process still continues. The seacoast dunes fortification and planting work in the Curonian Spit is the biggest project of its kind in the world.
Even though the majority of ancient residents were involved in fishing, from the beginning of the 19 century they began breeding animals as well. Juodkrantė was the first settlement among the current Neringa settlements to offer the tourist services, and from the middle of the 19th century also engaged in amber excavation and processing. Rapid growth of Juodkrantė began. In 1881, the Juodkrantė resort committee was established, which was rearranged into the Resort Society in the beginning of the 20th century.
In the beginning of the 20th century, new types of buildings, summerhouses and hotels, appeared in Juodkrantė. Fishermen homestead buildings were rearranged and reequipped by adapting them for visitors. In 1904, a large recreation complex was built in the resort with healing water and mud procedures. During the years of independent Lithuania (1923-1939), the resort was famous for various healing and mineral waters, attractions of resort infrastructure, and tranquillity of the dune forest.
Meanwhile, Nida was famous as a Mecca of artists. In 1900, the headquarters of the German artist colony was established in the hotel of H. Blodė. This society existed until 1945. The hotel of H. Blodė was one of the most famous German hotels. In 1930, a famous German writer, laureate of Nobel Prize T. Mann built his house in Nida.
Even though the Soviet period affected the urban face of Nerija, today this is the only place in Lithuania with the preserved, nearly untouched, ancient settlements of the former fishermen villages. They are like live museums of Kuršiai with an ethnical architectural heritage and old resort traditions

Landscape

Flora and fauna

The Curonian Spit National Park vegetation boasts about 900 plant species (including 31 species on the Lithuanian Red Book). it is also home to approximately 40 species of mammals and as many as about 300 species of birds. The White Sea/Baltic Sea migration highway goes along the Curonian Spit.

Climate

Curonian Spit is attributed to the coastal climate zone highly affected by the Baltic Sea. It boasts the highest number of sunny days in Lithuania. Prevailing winds are west and southwest winds. Due to the proximity to the sea, autumns and winters here are milder than in the eastern areas of Lithuania. Air in winter is very humid, and in spring the humidity decreases. The warmest month of the year is August.

Get in

The town of Neringa was founded in 1961 when the Lithuanian settlements of the Curonian Spit—Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, and Nida—were joined into one town stretching for nearly 50 km. Neringa’s population is currently about 3000.
Neringa’s geographic position is unique. It is the most western part of Lithuania, bordered by the Baltic Sea from the west, and by the Curonian Lagoon from the east. In the southern part of Neringa there is a state border with Russian Federation, Kaliningrad area, and therefore this peninsula can be easy accessed from the northern part of Neringa by ferry (Smiltynė-Klaipėda). If you don’t have a vehicle, Neringa can be conveniently accessed in several ways:

By bus

Buses leave from Vilnius and Kaunas every day; buses leave from Klaipeda’s Smiltynė ferry according to the schedule (the old ferry (1st), Žvejų g. 8, Klaipėda).

By car

Kaunas – Nida 263 km, Vilnius – Nida 361. The Lagoon is crossed in the new (2nd) ferry (Nemuno is g. 8, Klaipėda).
A local fee is charged for entrance permission by vehicle to the state-protected territories of the Curonian Spit National Park. This fee is administrated by the Neringa municipality.

Do

Bicycle Trips - a cycle route runs across the entire length of the Curonian Spit. The route is equipped with stopovers and singpost pointing to sightseeing objects. Lithuanian seaside cycle rout - www.bicycle.lt

Trips by boats - You can yacht, boat or sail by old type of boat Kurenas in the Curonian Laggon. You can visit Nemunas falls. Minge Village, Uostadvaris or other places liked by tourists.

Windsurfing and yacht sailing - there are exellent conditions for windsurfing and yacht sailing in the Curonian Lagoon.

Fishing - The Curonian Lagoon is the most suitable place for hobby fishing. Popular and much liked fishermen - hobbyists is ice fishing of burbots and smelts. Fishing permitted with licenses of Environmental Ministry.

Mushrooms and berries - from old times mushrooms and berry picking was the most favorable occupation ot the residents ot the Curonian Spit.

Observation of birds - The Curonian Sipt is a wonderful place for birds lovers. The best time is autumn. Already by the August sanpipers can be seen on the sea beach and the coast of the lagoon. The recommended sites for bird observation include Parnidis Dune top, the shores of pervalka Bay, and the seacoast. Here at any time You have an opportunity to visit the colony of grey herons and cormorants. Cormorants, a species nearly extinct in the rest of Europe, have resettledin the spit.

TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
May –Summer Season Opening Festival;
June – International Chamber Music and Ecology Festival “Nepaklusniųjų žemė;”
– International Thomas Mann Arts Festival;
– Fisherman’s Festival;
– International Chamber Music Summer Festival “Kuršių Nerija;”
– International Nida Jazz Festival “Nida Jazz maratonas;”
August – Festival “Ancient Craft Days in Neringa;”
– International Opera and Symphonic Music Festival “Muzikinis rugpjūtis pajūryje;”
–Lithuanian Film Festival ,,Lietuviški kadrai Nidoje;”
– International Chorus and Vocal Music Festival ,,Vox academia;”
September – International Painting Plein-air dedicated for the traditions of expressionistic “Brücke” generation;
– Series of events dedicated for the world tourism day;
November – Events of Neringa Town Festival;

NATURAL TREATMENT FACTORS
Neringa is a prestigious international seacoast resort located in the Curonian Spit National Park. It features cognitive tourism and rationally used natural and cultural resources. Natural treatment resources in the resort are used according to the solutions of the scheme of the Curonian Spit National Park, and according to the UNESCO recommendations.
According to the climate, Neringa is a seacoast resort, and according to treatment resources, it is a climatic resort. Neringa differs from other Lithuanian resorts by its seacoast and nature included into the list of the UNESCO heritage objects.
In addition to the unique natural resources, it also offers a modern tourism infrastructure and various active leisure forms. Special attention is paid here to the outdoor recreation: playgrounds, sports and recreation meadows, specially adapted forest infrastructure (cognitive trails), zones of non-smoking and silence, and sports equipment for outdoor entertainment, etc.

Buy

Typical Neringa souvenirs are articles made of amber which can be purchased not only in small shops but in places visited by many tourist in summer as well.Cheer your house, friends, mates and colleagues with weathercocks ( symbols of the Curonian Spit).

Eat

All Neringa cafes will offer you Lithuanian traditional dishes. You should necessarily taste cepelinai (potato dumplings with various fillings), potato pancakes (bulvių blynai) and cold beetroot soup (šaltibarščiai), fish soup (žuvienė), and other fish dishes typical to this region as well. You should taste really delicious and fresh fish smoked on Curonian recipe.

Drink

Sleep

Variety of accommoadation is on offer in Neringa including hospitable hotels, cosy villas, romantic guesthouses. For more information on accommodation please visit http://www.visitneringa.com and e-mail - info@visitneringa.lt